Nicki Minaj

Like her eccentric onstage personality and outlandish outfits, Nicki Minaj's musical talent was boundless. She first made a splash with her stylized mixtapes before dominating the charts with her debu...
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Lily Allen fears Tidal will cripple the music industry

By:
WENN.com
Mar 31, 2015

British singer Lily Allen fears Jay Z's new music streaming app Tidal could backfire and prompt fans to return to illegal downloads. On Monday (30Mar15), the hip-hop mogul relaunched the company as the world's first artist-owned subscription music service, which promises to be a "better experience for both fans and artists", with the backing of stars including his wife Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj and Madonna.
Allen has now raised concerns over the app in a series of posts on Twitter.com, admitting she is worried that music-lovers will turn their backs on official streaming sites and return to illegal downloads if major artists sever ties with companies such as Spotify, which offers a free service as well as a subscription, to join more "expensive" Tidal, which costs $19.99 (£12.50) a month.
She writes, "I love Jay Z so much, but Tidal is (so) expensive compared to other perfectly good streaming services, he's taken the biggest artists... Made them exclusive to Tidal (am I right in thinking this?), people are going to swarm back to pirate sites in droves... Sending traffic to torrent sites. Up and coming (not yet millionaires) artists are going to suffer as a result.
"I think I may have spoken too soon, and that there is a lot to celebrate where Tidal is concerned, I won't delete my posts because... my concerns are genuine..."
Allen believes the real problem with sites such as Spotify is not that streaming is free, but that record label bosses do not pay their artists a fair share of the proceeds, adding, "(We are) not (paid well), but that's because the labels take their market share and then determine how to divide it between their artists... We could just strike till (until) the labels give us our fair share of streaming revenue..."
Artists have not yet announced if their material will be exclusive to Tidal. Taylor Swift's back catalogue, which she removed from Spotify last year (14) in a dispute over revenue, will be available on Jay Z's service.

Rapper Nicki Minaj was thrilled to receive a marriage proposal from a fan with royal connections after meeting Diana, Princess Of Wales' nephew backstage at a gig in London. The Starships hitmaker performed at the O2 Arena in the British capital last week (ends29Mar15), and after the show she was introduced to Viscount Louis Spencer, son of the late royal's brother Earl Charles Spencer and cousin to Princes William and Harry.
Minaj revealed the meeting ended with a mock proposal from Spencer, much to her delight.
She shared a picture of herself posing with Spencer on Instagram.com and added in a caption, "The Royal Family stopped by. Louis Spencer Nephew of Princess Diana - he said he wants to marry me... Check out our wedding photo... no honestly it was such an honour..."

Stars including Beyonce, Madonna, Kanye West and Nicki Minaj have sparked a backlash after creating a movement on social media to promote Jay Z's new streaming service Tidal. Many musicians turned their profile pictures turquoise on Sunday (29Mar15) and encouraged their followers to do the same and share the hashtag #TIDALforALL to promote the new music portal Jay Z is set to relaunch on Monday (30Mar15).
The hip-hop star began it himself by writing on Twitter.com, "The Tides They Are-A Changing' #TIDALforALL" and his pal West added, "Together, we can turn the tide and make music history. Start by turning your profile picture blue. #TIDALforALL."
Jay Z's wife Beyonce, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, LL Cool J, Arcade Fire and Coldplay also joined the movement by turning their profile pictures turquoise across all their social media platforms.
However, the co-ordinated effort has been hit by a backlash from fans for employing activism tactics to promote an app which helps musicians earn more money rather than using their voice to publicise a genuine charity campaign.
One Twitter user writes, "So proud of the upper echelons of the music industry all banding together to make Jay Z some money. #TIDALforALL" and another adds, "I hate it when #TIDALforALL is disguised as a charity when it's an overpriced product launch. Disgusting," while one other writes, "Multi-millionaires doing an awareness campaign for their favourite charity: their bank account #TIDALforALL".
Tidal, which Jay Z recently purchased from a Swedish company for $56 million (£35 million), is a subscription service that users can access for $19.99 (£12.50) a month. The rapper will officially relaunch it in New York on Monday.

Taylor Swift took home the top honours at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Sunday (29Mar15), earning three of the night's biggest prizes. The Shake It Off hitmaker was given the top prize of the night with the Artist of the Year award, and she took the opportunity to pay tribute to her fans for their continued support.
She said, "More than anything in the world I hope that... the fans (know) how much I adore you, how much I put you first. I am so proud that having done this for 10 years now, we've gotten closer and closer, not further apart. I love knowing your stories. You make me so happy."
Swift also earned the first award of the night for Best Lyrics thanks to her hit Blank Space, and also won Song of the Year for Shake It Off.
Other winners included newlywed Jason Aldean, whose Burnin' It Down won Country Song of the Year, Ariana Grande, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, who were given the Best Collaboration prize for their hit Bang Bang, while country star Brantley Gilbert was given the first-ever Renegade award to recognise him as a true original in the industry.
Special honouree Justin Timberlake was presented with the Innovator Award by fashion designer Tom Ford, and he was shown a special video tribute featuring friends including Jimmy Fallon, Swift, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams, who won the same prize last year (14).
In his acceptance speech, Timberlake said, "Growing up in school, no one ever called me anything close to an innovator. They called me different, they called me weird. They called me a couple other things that I can't say on TV, so thankfully my mother taught me that being different actually meant that you could make a difference.
"If you're a young person like I used to be, and you're at home watching and you're being called weird, and you're being called different, or whatever the hell you're being called, I'm here tonight to tell you your critics do not count. Their words will fail. You won't."
Timberlake ended his speech by thanking his wife Jessica Biel, who is pregnant with their first child, adding, "Lastly, you can't have innovation without creation, so I want to thank my best friend, my favourite collaborator, my wife Jessica who's at home watching. Honey, I can't wait to see our greatest creation yet. Don't worry, Daddy's heading home right now to innovate by learning how to change a poopy diaper and get my swaddle on."
Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Hudson kicked off the second annual prizegiving with a performance of the Aussie rapper's track Trouble, while Rihanna performed her new single B**ch Better Have My Money, and Madonna sang her latest offering Ghosttown with Swift on guitar.
Other performers included Nick Jonas, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, and Meghan Trainor, while Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, who hosted the event at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, also debuted his own new track, You've Changed, featuring Chris Brown.
The full list of prizewinners is:
Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift
Song of the Year: Shake It Off by Taylor Swift
Best New Artist: Sam Smith
Best Collaboration: Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
Hip-Hop/R&B Song of the Year: Don't Tell 'Em by Jeremih featuring YG
Alternative Rock Song of the Year: Take Me to Church by Hozier
Country Song of the Year: Burnin' It Down by Jason Aldean
Dance Song of the Year: Summer by Calvin Harris
Best Lyrics: Blank Space by Taylor Swift
Best Fan Army: 5SOSFAM (5 Seconds of Summer)
Renegade Award: Brantley Gilbert
Innovator Award: Justin Timberlake.

British pop star Jessie J came close to losing her record deal after her second album flopped. The singer, who is best known in the U.S. for her Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande collaboration Bang Bang, has revealed her music bosses came close to ditching her after 2013 record Alive failed to emulate the success of her 2011 debut Who You Are.
Jessie J admits she felt hurt by criticism of the record, and she was lucky to be given another chance by label executives.
She tells Britain's The Times newspaper, "(My label bosses said) 'Statistically we should let you go, but we know you are a star'."
The singer goes on to compare her music to the work of designers at French fashion house Chanel, adding, "People go, 'It was a flop.' Well, (fashion house) Chanel make beautiful garments, but sometimes there's a collection that doesn't work."
Alive was pulled from release in the U.S., but hit number three in the U.K. album charts.
She later made a storming comeback with the release of her third album Sweet Talker last year (14), which reached number five in the U.S., becoming a bigger success Stateside than her debut disc.

British pop star Jessie J has been warned by doctors to tone down her live performances or risk aggravating her heart condition. The singer, who scored a top three hit in the U.S. last year (14) with Bang Bang, her collaboration with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome when she was aged 11.
Jessie J, now 26, limits her diet to help control the condition, which causes an irregular heart beat, but her doctors have urged her to slow the pace at her concerts amid fears the dancing and singing worsen her problems.
The pop star admits she often suffers bouts of ill heath on stage, but she is determined to continue singing live for as long as possible.
She tells Britain's The Times newspaper, "I don't know if I'm going to be in control to this as long as I want... (The condition affects me) more often than people think... You cover it up."
When asked whether her doctors tell her to change her shows, she adds, "Yeah, (of) course they do, and I just go 'Meh, this is what I do'... I have prided myself in having got this far without having to (lip-sync), but if my career carries on moving at the pace that it is, I will have to lip-sync to be able to stay well. My songs are so big."

It's no secret that celebrities don't always love their co-stars, but these 15 pairs of stars will shock you with their feuds. Whether they were magic onscreen and nightmares off or just plain crazy with the way they behaved toward one another, these are the rivalries that take the cake:
1. Leonardo DiCaprio &amp; Claire Danes
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While it may seem impossible to resist the charms of young Leonardo DiCaprio, that's exactly what happened with his Romeo + Juliet co-star, Claire Danes. The sixteen year old actress reportedly found the heartthrob, known to be somewhat of a prankster on set, to be too immature, spending as much time as possible away from him behind the scenes; he thought she was too uptight. At least they found chemistry onscreen!
2. Ryan Gosling &amp; Rachel McAdams
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Even though they made one of the greatest couples we've seen in a movie in quite some time (and went on to become a real life couple we totally loved), Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling tooootally did not get along on the set of The Notebook. Director Nicholas Cassavetes has discussed Gosling's struggles with McAdams, recalling the actor asking for someone else to read lines with him off-camera because he couldn't work with McAdams. At one point, the two were put in a room with a producer, screamed and shouted at one another, and emerged from the room ready to commence with filming. Cassavetes says that even though it was not all smooth sailing from there, it was smoother.
3. Shia LaBeouf &amp; Tom Hardy
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While filming Lawless, LaBeouf admits he didn't always get along with Hardy; Hardy admits that Shia knocked him out. "Out cold. He’s a bad, bad boy. He is. He’s quite intimidating as well. He’s a scary dude… He just attacked me. He was drinking moonshine. I was wearing a cardigan, and er, went down." We're not sure how that could even happen, considering Tom Hardy is one of the guys we're least likely to mess with (have you seen Bronson?), but now we know there's a way darker story behind that selfie they took together.
4. Joan Crawford &amp; Bette Davis
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This one may just be the most famous feud on this list. Bette Davis was apprehensive in starring in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? simply because of her co-star: Joan Crawford. During filming, Davis went to extreme lengths to make herself as ugly as possible, but Crawford went in the other direction (she even made sure her bras were padded despite the fact that her character should have been withering away). The fighting continued throughout filming, ranging from complaints regarding Crawford's drinking on set to Davis allegedly kicking Crawford in the head (in a scene where her character kicks Crawford's). For another scene, Joan's character was to be dragged from bed by Bette's, so she rigged weights in her wardrobe, giving Davis a back injury. After spending each day fighting, both actresses would call the director, Robert Aldrich, to complain about the other. Oi.
5. Sarah Jessica Parker &amp; Kim Cattrall
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The media loves to play up hype of women hating each other, and that could very well be the case for these Sex and the City stars. The rumors surrounding these two stars are endless, usually involving salary disputes, though nobody really knows for sure why they didn't get along (or even if they didn't get along). SJP has alluded to the feuding when she claimed that long days on set sometimes ended with "hurt feelings."
6. Shirley MacLaine &amp; Debra Winger
Paramount via Everett Collection
Despite the fact that this movie will make you sob uncontrollably, run to your mother, and tell her you love her, there was no love lost between Terms of Endearment's stars. MacLaine even wrote in her memoir that Winger farted. in. her. face. at one point. The feud continued throughout awards season -- which pitted the stars against each other at the Oscars, with MacLaine winning -- and may even continue to this day. We're totally MacLaine, not just because she's ***flawless, but because people who fart in other people's faces need to be stopped!
7. Will Smith &amp; Janet Hubert
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Have you ever wondered why The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air changed actresses between seasons 3 and 4? Any fan of the show has surely noticed that Aunt Viv undergoes a radical change -- in fact, even Jazz references this change in the first episode of the 4th season, when he tells Mrs. Banks, "ever since you had that baby, there's something different about you." The reason for this, it seems, is that the original Aunt Viv, Janet Hubert, and Will Smith had a crazy feud that resulted in her being fired from the show. She has claimed that working Will and Alfonso Ribeiro was a nightmare, and she also made it plain that she considers Smith a diva. We wish they could've worked out their differences, because Janet's Viv was a boss. We'll let Janet discuss this one in her own words:
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8. Patrick Swayze &amp; Jennifer Grey
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It turns out, Swayze probably would have loved to put Baby in a corner. In his autobiography, the late star recalled how difficult his Dirty Dancing co-star was to work with. He dished about her hypersensitive reactions to criticism, the "silly moods" she frequently found herself in, and how often she disrupted filming by not containing her laughter. This is one of those feuds that we'll choose to ignore -- Dirty Dancing is so much better without that baggage, isn't it?
9. Shannen Doherty &amp;...The World
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Shannen Doherty has earned herself a reputation as being a difficult co-star. On Beverly Hills, 90210, she allegedly did not get along with Tori Spelling at all (though, we can't say we blame her really). Spelling even once mentioned a fist fight (!!) between Doherty and 90210 co-star Jennie Garth. After leaving that show early, she joined the cast of Charmed, where she didn't get along with Alyssa Milano before leaving that show early.
10. Meryl Streep &amp; Dustin Hoffman
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Is it really even possible to hate Meryl Streep? Apparently, it is, if you're Dustin Hoffman. While filming the Academy Award winning Kramer vs. Kramer, about a couple battling through a bitter and painful divorce, Hoffman was going through the very same thing in his personal life. According to the actor, he brought his real life drama to set with him and unleashed a bit of it on Meryl. Because she's so fabulous and not used to people disliking her, Meryl didn't really notice his animosity.
11. Sharon Stone &amp; Billy Baldwin
Paramount via Everett Collection
Which Baldwin brother is Sharon Stone's favorite? Not Billy! While filming the 1993 movie, Sliver, Stone allegedly allowed her venomous feelings for her co-star take over during a love scene. While kissing him, she bit his tongue to show him how she really felt. Ouch!
12. Lucy Liu &amp; Bill Murray
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It's hard to imagine anyone disliking Bill Murray, but Lucy Liu managed to turn him into an enemy while filming Charlie's Angels. While the story is varied, the gist of it is that Murray informed Ms. Liu that she couldn't act (some sources say this happened mid-scene), which she may or may not have retaliated to. Murray has since been quoted on the incident: “Look, I will dismiss you completely if you are unprofessional and working with me…When our relationship is professional, and you’re not getting that done, forget it.” The two are friends now, but we can understand why Liu didn't take kindly to Bill's opinion. No wonder Bernie Mac filled his shoes for the sequel.
13. Nicki Minaj &amp; Mariah Carey
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This one is one of the most well known feuds around (and having most of it play out on American Idol certainly didn't help that), though it's also a bit of the most nonsensical. It's never been made clear why these two hate each other so much, but almost any clip from that season of the talent competition will show just how incessant their bickering was. While their time on Idol is over, their feud definitely isn't. Mariah's take on the whole experience?
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14. Betty White &amp; Bea Arthur
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Hating Betty White is infinitely more shocking than hating Meryl Streep -- and that's saying something. Though, for largely unknown reasons, Bea Arthur did indeed dislike Betty quite a bit. White and Rue McClanahan have both commented on Bea's dislike for Betty's sunny disposition. So, The Golden Girls weren't as great of friends as we always thought, and that's apparently because Betty White is too damn happy. What?!
15. David Duchovny &amp; Gillian Anderson
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This one was one of the most painful to swallow, but The X-Files' Mulder and Scully weren't as in love with each other as fans liked to imagine they were. Duchovny has been open about the hostility between the two, claiming "familiarity breeds contempt," which we totally understand. Nothing makes people start to hate each other more than spending a ton of time together, right? At times, the pair couldn't stand the sight of the other and they would frequently argue over nothing. Anderson had a valid reason for her unhappiness: Duchovny, her co-star and equal on the show, was paid double her salary. In addition to that injustice, she was also forced to always walk behind Duchovny, despite having the same amount of dialogue, because she's a woman. While this feud (which has since ended) hurt to learn about, we're totally on Anderson's side.

Everyone knows that Nicki Minaj doesn't take ish from anyone. Not only is she a bad bitch who does whatever she wants, she manages to do so while making some of the best facial expressions any human being has ever made. In our continuing efforts to be more like her any way we can, we're taking a look at how Nicki deals with haters, basics, and really just anyone that doesn't jive with her.
1. When you see that your ex's new girl is definition downgrade.
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2. When the guy across from you on the subway starts clipping his toe-nails, and you're too shocked/disgusted to do anything except find out if you're the only one seeing it.
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3. When someone tries to convince you that Beyoncé didn't have the album of the year.
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Just kidding, we totally respect Beck's artistry.
4. When you dress up to take Instagram photos just so your followers feel inferior.
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5. When someone posts a video of themselves trying to twerk.
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6. When the Chipotle employee tells you guac is extra and asks if you still want some.
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Like, yes, I know, and you bet your ass I do.
7. When your friend who drunk-dialed you at 3am to cry about how much her life sucks is now telling everyone at the party that she's at a great place in her life.
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8. When everyone you know is on spring break and posting photos of their travels, and you're just relieved you can stop shoveling snow.
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9. When someone tells you that you don't have the dopest ass around.
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10. When you need that guy who rejected you in high school to rue the day without using any words.
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11. When you see that girl shamelessly trying to flirt at the bar, but it's not cute and no one's diggin' it.
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12. When your friend just told you a story and now they're repeating it for the fourth time in front of you.
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13. When you go out to lunch with a friend, order everything on the menu, and then your friend orders a piece of kale.
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14. When your friend teases you about that guy you used to crush on, and it's cute, but soooo played out.
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15. When someone insults you, and you invoke this grown-up version of "I am rubber and you are glue."
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Instead of being glue, it's more who even are you?
16. When your best frenemy gives you a compliment that may be genuine, may be backhanded, but you DGAF because she still sucks.
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17. When throwing shade once simply doesn't cover it.
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18. When you realize that no matter what you do, you make other people feel bad about how basic they are.
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Title

Made feature film debut with voice role of Steffie, a woolly mammoth in "Ice Age: Continental Drift"

Co-starred with Cameron Diaz in the romantic comedy "The Other Woman"

Made debut musical appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live"

Released first mixtape Playtime Is Over with Young Money Entertainment and Dirty Money Entertainment

Released follow-up album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Joined Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson for a single season as a judge on Fox's "American Idol"

Signed record deal with Young Money Entertainment, mentored by fellow rapper Lil Wayne

Gained international fame for breakthrough hit "Super Bass"

Featured in the MTV documentary "Nicki Minaj: My Time Now"

Third album The PinkPrint is released, featuring the hit single "Anaconda"

Released highly anticipated debut album Pink Friday, which featured the singles "Your Love" and "Moment 4 Life"

Summary

Like her eccentric onstage personality and outlandish outfits, Nicki Minaj's musical talent was boundless. She first made a splash with her stylized mixtapes before dominating the charts with her debut album <i>Pink Friday</i> (2010), a dynamic fusion of musical genres from rap to bubblegum pop. Fueled by smash hits like "Your Love," "Check it Out" and "Roman's Revenge," Minaj went from rising rap diva to the genre's new Queen Bee. She also managed to keep critics and fans alike on their toes with her unexpected fashion choices, sporadic foreign accents, and of course, searing freestyle. It was her reputation as an unpredictable artist that helped land her a spot at the judge's table, alongside Mariah Carey and Keith Urban, on season 12 of "American Idol" (Fox, 2002- ), bringing the artist more mainstream than ever before. Minaj also collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, a testament to her fierce vocals, impressive range and influence as one of hip-hop's most original artists.

Name

Role

Comments

Robert Maraj

Father

Carol Maraj

Mother

Safaree Samuels

Ex-Companion

Dated for 12 years.; Much of Minaj's 2015 album The PinkPrint reportedly deals with the couple's breakup.